History of the Caucasus Leibniz Biodiversity Research Center
- The Caucasus Leibniz Biodiversity Research Center (LBiC) is a collaborative project between the two parties Ilia State University (ISU, Tbilisi, Georgia) and the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, Germany). The LBiC was officially established on April 30, 2024, by the ISU Academic Council at ISU in Tbilisi. The LBiC is a collaborative biodiversity research center of ISU and LIB dedicated to the study and conservation of the biodiversity of the Caucasus. It is a research center with clear governance structures and procedures for quality assurance and management.
- The collaboration between LIB and ISU dates back to at least 2006, when the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation supported institutional cooperation between these two institutions. This collaboration strengthened the idea of the Georgian-German Biodiversity Center (GGBC), aimed at developing joint research in the Caucasus region and introducing advanced research technologies and standards in Georgia. In 2016, after the Association Agreement between Georgia and the EU was enacted, the GGBC project was presented to the BMBF. This project aimed to implement biodiversity assessment using modern genetic methods in the Caucasus region.
- Since 2020 (project end April 2024), the BMBF has supported a large-scale Caucasus Barcode of Life project (CaBOL), involving seven research institutions and universities from Armenia, Georgia, and Germany. Thousands of animal and plant species from Georgia and Armenia were collected, their DNA sequences analyzed, and stored in the publicly accessible database (https://ggbc.eu/), essential for developing a scientifically based strategy for biodiversity conservation in this hotspot. This database also laid a crucial foundation for developing an international data and knowledge hub in Georgia and the region. Hundreds of species collected in the project have been recorded as new for Georgia or Armenia, and dozens as new to science. The significant results have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals or are in preparation for publication.
- The project attracted dozens of ecology and biology students and citizen scientists. Workshops, such as those on molecular genetic data analysis, specifically trained students and technical staff at partner institutions in the Caucasus in advanced taxonomic work. Training by project experts included modern field recording methods, the application of advanced molecular analysis techniques, and training in bioinformatics analysis methods.
- BioBlitz events and close cooperation with schools and kindergartens in Armenia and Georgia significantly increased public awareness of biodiversity. These citizen scientist events have already reached many people, introducing them to the topic of biodiversity according to their age and education level.
The objectives of the LBiC
- Combining the common interests regarding biodiversity research and education of ISU and LIB, it is expressed in clear governance structures and procedures for quality assurance and quality management and in establishing competitive scientific structures at ISU.
- Analysis and modeling of the state of biodiversity and its controlling factors and its historical and current changes (also by means of natural history collections).
- Introducing the latest methods of biodiversity research in Georgia and the Caucasus region.
- Strengthening working relationships with advanced European scientific institutions and integrating the LBiC and ISU into the European Research Area (ERA).
- Training of ecologists, taxonomists and biodiversity experts with the latest methods.
- Act as a connecting element between the parties of interest from Georgia, Germany, EU and other countries.
- Expansion of the ISU’s and LIB’s leading role in the field of biodiversity research in the Caucasus and development of viable, sustainable structures.
Infrastructure
Employees (name, surname, position, contact information )
Scientific council:
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Bernhard Misof, Director general (LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, Germany), b.misof@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Nino Doborjginidze, Rector (ISU, Tbilisi, Georgia), rector@iliauni.edu.ge
Prof. Dr. David Tarkhnishvili, Director of the Institute of Ecology & Director of the LBiC (ISU, Tbilisi, Georgia), david_tarkhnishvili@iliauni.edu.ge
Coordinator:
Prof. Dr. Nils Hein, Prof. assoc. Physical Geography & Ecology (ISU, Tbilisi, Georgia), nils.hein@iliauni.edu.ge
